2009-10 NBA preview: Miami Heat

While it may seem unfair to reduce a season for an entire team to a question about one player, the Miami Heat are going to have to play well enough to persuade All Star Guard Dwayne Wade to resign with the team. The team needs to give Wade some talent to play with, if they do there is no doubt they he could lead them to another NBA title. IF they can put a legitimate team around him, he would be able to shoulder the pressure of leading them towards another title. It really is that simple.

Wade may be just fine with the Heat simply being a playoff team, and he is good enough by himself to get this team the second round of the playoffs, in fact he may be the third best player in the NBA today. He is right behind Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, and to secure his legacy he must win more championships.

GM Pat Riley did little tinkering with his roster in the off season. He believes that another year of experience for his younger guys, and the fact that Wade is in a contract year is enough motivation for improvement. He may be right, but only time will tell there. He did however go and out and trade for Quentin Richardson.

As constructed the Heat do not look like a Championship contender, but Riley and Head Coach Erik Spoelstra think that they are headed in the right direction. This is not a team looking to improve their won loss record by 28 games; they are looking for the chance to win 50 and to continue to develop their young talent. That may be enough to get Wade to stay, and yet it might not be.